Method and apparatus for making electrical connections



NOV. 26, 1968 v c g y, JR 3,412,449

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL (ZONNECTIONS Y Filed Dec. 10,1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 o I II a K so Nov. 26, .1968 J. R. VICKERY, JR3,412,449

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Fiied Dec. 10,1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In \v umw" Nov. 26, 1968 J. R. VICKERY, JR3,412,449

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed Dec. 10,1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov..26, 1968 J. R. VICKERY, JR 3,412,449

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed Dec. 10,1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,412,449 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS John Roy Vickery, Jr., York,Pa., assignor to P Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Dec. 10, 1965,Ser. No. 512,888 5 Claims. (Cl. 29203) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREApparatus for making clip-type electrical connections comprises clipguide or mandrel having a wire-receiving opening therein and clip pusherfor pushing a terminal clip over the mandrel, past the opening, and ontoa terminal post. A wire tucking means is provided beside the mandrel andis effective to form a bight in an intermediate portion of the wire andtuck the bight into the opening. Severing means in the opening cuts thewire so that when tucking means is thereafter moved out of the opening,the cut end of a wire remains in the opening. Upon subsequent movementof a clip over the mandrel and past the opening, the clip moves againstthe wire and drags the wire end over the mandrel and onto the terminalpost thereby to form a clip-type connection.

This invention relates to apparatus for making clip-type electricalconnections between conductors and terminal posts.

The technique of making clip-type electrical connections, as disclosedin the co-pending application of Robert F. Cobaugh, Ser. No. 171,074,filed Feb. 5, 1962, now Patent No. 3,239,918, involves the use of a clipguide or mandrel and a means for pushing a terminal clip over themandrel and onto the post. When the connection is made, the wire isinserted into an opening in the mandrel so that as the clip is movedover the mandrel, it moves against the wire and drags the wire from theopening, over the mandrel, and over the surface of the post. Varioustypes of hand tools and automatic machines have been designed for makingsuch cliptype connections. When a connection is made with a hand tool,the operator must manually locate the end of the wire in the tool priorto actuating the clippushing means to form the connection. The mostcommonly used automatic wire machine has a mechanism for locating thewire adjacent to the mandrel and in a position such that it will bepicked up by the clip. In

both types of apparatus, that is in hand tools and autor matic wiringmachines, the step of positioning the wire properly in alignment withthe path of movement of the clip has presented some problems in thepast; in automatic wiring machines, relatively complex mechanisms havebeen required to perform this wire-positioning step while in hand tools,it has been found that the positioning of the wire requires asubstantial portion of the time required to make an electricalconnection.

The present invention is specifically directed to an apparatus formaking electrical connections in which the step of positioning the wirewith respect to the mandrel is greatly simplified and can be carried outin a shorter time period than has been possible with previouslyavailable devices. It is accordingly an object of the invention toprovide an improved method and apparatus for making clip-type electricalconnections. A further object is to provide an apparatus in which thewire can be positioned relative to the mandrel of a clip-type electricalconnecting apparatus rapidly and accurately. A further object is toprovide an apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections whichrequires a minimum of operator skill. A still further object is toprovide an apparatus having 3,412,449 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 an integralmeans for severing a conductor extending from a reel which has beenpreviously attached to a first terminal post and which is to be attachedto a second terminal post.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferredembodiment in which the apparatus used comprises a mandrel or clip guidehaving a wire-receiving opening therein intermediate its ends and aclip-pushing means for pushing a terminal clip over the mandrel and ontothe post. The apparatus is also provided with a wiretucking means whichis movable into the opening and a wire guide extending parallel to thepath of movement of the clip. The wire guide has an outlet disposedadjacent to the opening in the mandrel so that a wire extending fromthis outlet will be inserted or tucked into the opening upon movement ofthe tucking means into the opening. A suitable knife or other cuttingmeans is provided in the opening so that when the wire is pushed againstthis knife, it will be severed in the plane of the cutting edge. Innormal usage, the end portion of the wire will extend from the openingof the guide tube and can be tucked into the opening so that it will bein a position to be picked up by the terminal clip upon actuation of theclip-moving means to make an electrical connection with a first terminalpost. After this first connection is made, wire drawn from a supply reelthrough the guide tube to provide a length sufficient to reach to thesecond terminal post so that the Wire will extend from the guide tubeand past the opening in the mandrel. The tucking means is then actuatedto form a bight in the wire which is pushed into the opening in themandrel. The wire is severed at the reverse bend of this bight and thetucking means is thereafter moved from the opening. The wire extendingrearwardly through the guide tube is carried from the opening by thetucking means leaving the end portion of the lead (formed duringsevering) extending into the opening. Upon subsequent actuation of theclip-moving means, the severed end of this :lead will be electricallyconnected to the second terminal post.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one form of apparatus in accordance with theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side view on an enlarged scale of the frontportion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 showing the positions of the partsat the beginning of an operating cycle;

FIGURES 3-7 are views similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the positions ofthe parts at various successive stages of the operating cycle; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the clip guide or mandrel of the tool.

FIGURE 1 shows a hand tool 2 for making clip-type electrical connectionsof the general type disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 3,186,073 and3,220,099. The tool 2 differs from the tools in the foregoing US.patents in that it incorporates devices for the practice of the presentinvention. Since the structural features of this type of hand tool arenow well-known to the art, only those features of the tool which arenecessary for an understanding of the present invention will bedescribed.

The tool 2 comprises an outer housing member 4 and an inner housing 6.The outer housing 4 has a depending handle portion 8 while the innerhousing 6 has a complementary depending handle portion 10 which istelescopically movable into the handle portion 8. The outer housing 4has a rectangular rearward extension 12 in which there is provided astop screw 13 to limit the forward stroke of a clip-pushing memberdescribed below. The location of this stop screw is changeable in orderto permit adjustment of the stroke limit.

An inner frame, contained within the inner housing 6,

has a channel-shaped projection 14 which extends beyond the housingmembers 4, 6. It will be apparent that the outer and inner housings ofthe disclosed tool differ from the corresponding members of the toolsshown in US. Patents 3,186,073 and 3,220,099 in that the housing membersof the disclosed tool are shorter than the housing members of the toolsshown in the patents. As a result of this difference, a substantialportion of the projecting section 14 of the frame is exposed and awire-inserting or tucking mechanism 54, described below, is mounted onthis exposed end of the housing.

A air of support plates are mounted against the depending sidewalls ofthe projecting portion 14 of the frame at the left-hand end thereof, theprojecting portion 16 of one of these plates being shown in FIGURE 1.The mandrel block 18 is mounted between the plates 16 and a relativelythin guide plate 20 is mounted centrally within the projection 14 to theright of the mandrel block. A strip of terminal clips 22 is fed over theupper edge of this plate 20 and the leading clip of the strip is brokenaway from the next adjacent clip by means of a clip pusher 21 which ismovable relatively over the head portion of the mandrel and beyond theend of this head portion. A pair of levers 24 are pivotally mounted onthe sides of the plate 20 on a pin 26. The left-hand end of the lever 24shown in the drawing has a finger 27 which is normally lodged againstthe leading clip of the strip to prevent accidental feeding of thestrip. This lever is swung through a slight counterclockwise are bymeans of a pin 30 extending between the sidewalls of the left-hand endof the outer housing 4. As explained in the above-identified Patent,3,220,099, this pin moves relatively past a cam surface 32 on the lever24 to lower the finger 27 and permit leftward movement of the clip. Thelever 24 is normally biased to the position shown in FIGURE 4 by a. wirespring 28 bearing against the underside of the lever. Rightward movementof the clip of strips is prevented when the clip pusher is retracted bymeans of outwardly struck tangs 34 on the upper edge of the plate 20.The lever on the opposite side of the plate 20 is similar to the lever24 shown and functions in the same manner as the lever 24.

The mandrel extends from the upper side of the mandrel block 18 andcomprises a rib portion 38 and a head portion 40 the width of the headportion being substantially equal to, and slightly less than, thedistance between the opposed sidewalls of the terminal clip being used.An opening 42 extends downwardly through the head portion and the rib ofthe mandrel intermediate its ends so that the right-hand portion 400: ofthe mandrel head extends rightwardly from this opening as viewed in thedrawing towards the left-hand end of the plate 20. The leading clip canthus be pushed onto the right-hand end 40a of the mandrel, past and overthe opening 42, and beyond the left-hand end of the mandrel head.

Referring to FIGURE 8, it will be noted that while the opening 42 isrelatively wide in the direction of the length of the mandrel head, itssides 44, 46 are cylindrical and the edges 48, 50 on the sides of theopening extend towards each other for a substantial distance beyond thecylindrical sidewalls 44, 46. The reason for this construction is toassure that the terminal clip will move over the mandrel head from theportion 40a to the portion 40 thereof and will be supported while it isbridging the gap left by the opening.

A groove 47 is provided on the upper surface of the mandrel head portion40 and slopes downwardly towards the opening 42 to provide a surfaceover which the wire core can be drawn while the electrical connection isbeing made as explained in the above-identified Patent 3,220,099.

A cutting blade 52 is mounted in the floor of the opening 42 and has acutting edge 53 extending transversely across the opening, preferable ata slight angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel. Awire-inserting or tucking mechanism generally indicated at 54 is mountedon the upper side of the housing projection 14 and comprises a firstyoke 56 having depending legs 58 which straddle the projection 14 andare pivoted thereto as shown at 60. An arm 62 extends forwardly fromthis yoke towards the left-hand end of the tool and has a rod 64 securedto its end. The length of this rod and the length of the arm are suchthat when the arm is swung about its pivotal axis 60 from the positionof FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURE 3, the rod will move into theopening 42 and against the edge 53 of the cutting blade 52.

A wire guide tube 68 is mounted beneath the arm 62 and has itsright-hand end mounted in a second yoke 70 having legs 72 pivotallymounted on the previously identified screws 60. The yoke 70 is straddledby the yoke 56 and is movable independently of this yoke 56 or with theyoke 56 as will become apparent as this explanation proceeds.

A relatively thin head portion 74 of the yoke 70 extends from the upperside of the yoke into a slot 76 in the arm 62. An L-shaped latch member78 is pivotally mounted in the slot 76 at the left-hand end thereof on apin 80 and the right-hand edge 82 of this latch conforms to the adjacentedge "84 of the yoke head 74. The arrangement is such that the two yokes56, 70 can be latched to each other so that they will move in unisonwhen the parts including the latch member 78 are in the positions ofFIGURE 3. The yoke 70 can be disengaged from the yoke 56 by merelymoving the latch member 78 in a counterclockwise direction to theposition of FIGURE 4. It is thus possible to either move the arm 62upwardly independently of the guide tube 68 or to move the arm 62 andthe wire guide tube 68 upwardly as a unit. A leaf spring 86 is providedon the underside of the arm 62 to bias this arm to the position ofFIGURE 4 when the two yokes are not latched together, it beingundertsood that the spring will be in a stressed condition when the twoyokes are latched together as in FIGURE 3.

In use, the parts will be in the positions shown in FIGURE 2 with thetwo yokes latched together and with the end 90 of a wire extending fromthe outlet of the guide tube 68 and alongside the rod 64 at thebeginning of the operating cycle. To make an electrical connectionbetween the end 90 of the wire and a first terminal post, hereindesignated as the A post, the operator first swings the arm 62downwardly to the position of FIGURE 3 thus moving the end portion 90 ofthe wire into the opening 42. He then swings the latch 78 in acounterclockwise direction disengaging the yoke 56 from the yoke 70. Hethen swings the arm 62 upwardly to the position of FIGURE 4. The guidetube 68 will be held in its lowered position by a pair of spaced-apartspring clips 92 mounted on the upper surface of the housing projection14. The operator can then position the end of the mandrel against the Apost and operate the tool to connect the end portion of the wire 90 tothis post. During such operation of the tool, the leading terminal clipwill be moved over the portion 40a of the mandrel head, against thewire, over the portion 40 of the mandrel head, and onto the post andwill drag the wire over the post until a connection, as shown at A inFIGURE 7, is achieved.

The operator then moves the tool to a location adjacent to the secondpost, the B post, while drawing wire from a suitable supply reel throughthe guide tube 68. After he has drawn a sufiicient supply of wirethrough the tube, he moves the wire guide tube upwardly until it reachesthe position of FIGURE 5 in which it extends parallel to the arm 62 andhe then swings the latch member 78 through a slight clockwise arc tolatch the two yokes to each other. The operator then swings the arm 62and the guide tube 68 as a unit through a slight counterclockwise arcuntil the lower end of the rod 64 enters the opening 42. The lower endof the rod forms a bight in the wire end and pushes this bight into theopening 42 until the reversely turned end portion thereof is pressedagainst the cutting edge 53 of the knife at which time the wire will besevered as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The operator t-hen swings the armand the guide tube upwardly as a unit until they reach the positionshown in FIGURE 7 and have been moved out of the way of the clip whichwill be applied to the B post. The severed end of the 'wire extendingfrom the A post will remain in the opening 42 and against the side 46 ofthe opening. The wire is then in a position to be connected to thesecond terminal post upon actuation of the clip pushing device in thetool. After the wire has been thus connected, the parts are in theirproper positions for the initiation of the next operating cycle.

There are several salient advantages of the invention 'which will beapparent to those who are familiar with clip-type electricalconnections. An overall advantage is that the operation of positioningthe wire in the mandrel opening is carried out by merely swinging thearm 62 about its pivotal axis and does not require the threading orinsertion of the wire into a relatively small opening by the operator. Afurther advantage is that the step of cutting the wire is combined'wit-h the inserting or tucking step so that the operator need notinterrupt his motions and use a separate cutting device as was the casewith previous tools. From a method aspect, the practice of the inventionis advantageous in that the wire is tucked or pushed into the opening bya relatively simple device which moves laterally with respect to themandrel and to the mandrel opening. A wire-inserting device of thistype, and this wire-inserting method, is thus amenable to employmentwith automatic wiring machines since they involve relatively simplemotions of the parts associated with the mandrel head.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art andvarious apparently different modifications and embodiments may be madeWithout departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forthin the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by wayof illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended tobe defined in the following claims when viewed in their properperspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. A device for making clip-type electrical connections comprising, amandrel for guiding individual clips along a predetermined pathextending over said mandrel and onto a terminal post, clip moving meansfor moving a terminal clip along said path, a wire-receiving opening insaid mandrel intermediate the ends thereof, a wire guide tube normallyextending parallel to said path and towards said mandrel, said guidetube having an outlet adjacent to said wire-receiving opening, means forfeeding wire through said guide tube and beyond said opening,wire-tucking means movable laterally of said path and into said openingfor tucking a wire emergent from said guide tube into said opening,means in said opening for severing a wire tucked into said opening, andmeans for moving said guide tube laterally away from said path whereby,the leading end of a wire extending from a substantially endless sourcethrough said guide tube can be connected to a first terminal post uponactuation of said tucking means and positioning the end of said wire insaid opening, and said wire can be connected to a second terminal postby actuating said tucking means to form a wire bight extending into saidopening, severing said wire at said bight by said severing means, andmoving said guide tube laterally away from said path whereby, the wirefrom said source is moved out of said opening, and the end of the leadformed upon severing of said wire remains positioned in said openingwhereby upon movement of a second terminal clip along said path, saidend is connected to a second terminal post.

2. In an apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections, saidapparatus being of the type comprising a clip guide having awire-receiving opening therein and means for moving a terminal clipalong a predetermined path extending over said guide, past said opening,and onto a terminal post, the improvement comprising, wiretucking meansmovable laterally with respect to said opening and into said openingthereby to tuck a wire extending parallel to said path into saidopening, and severing means in said opening for severing said wire aftertucking when an intermediate portion of said wire is tucked into saidopening, said tucking means being operative to position the leading endof a wire in said opening preparatory to connecting said leading end toa first terminal post, said tucking means and said severing means beingoperative to tuck an intermediate portion of said wire into said openingand sever said intermediate portion preparatory to connecting said wireto a second terminal post.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a wire guide normallyextending parallel to said path and having an outlet adjacent to saidopening, means for holding said wire guide with its outlet adjacent tosaid opening, and means for moving said wire guide laterally away fromsaid opening.

4. Apparatus for securing a wire to a terminal member, said wireextending from a substantially endless source, said apparatus comprisinga guide member, a wire pick-up device movable along said guide membertowards said terminal, said guide member having a recess therein forreceiving said wire, wire supply and positioning means adjacent to saidguide member, said wire positioning means including a tucking member fortucking a bight of wire into said recess, said positioning means beingmovable between a first position in which said wire is tucked into saidrecess and a second position beside said guide member, and cutting meansin said recess for cutting said wire at said bight whereby, upon cuttingof said wire at said bight and movement of said wire pick-up device, acut end of said wire is carried towards said terminal.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said severing meanscomprises a cutting edge in said opening, said cutting edge beingeffective to out said wire and when said intermediate portion of saidwire is forced against said edge by said tucking means.

. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,845,693 8/ 1958 Shetterly eta1 29-628 2,958,926 11/ 1960 Morison 29203 3,186,073 6/ 1965 Cobaugh etal. 29-203 3,191,281 6/1965 Cobaugh 29-203 3,220,099 11/1965 Long 292033,239,918 3/1966 Cobaugh 29-630 THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

